Alternative Potter Books
Unfortunately, J.K. Rowling can't write as fast we can read, so, while you're waiting for the next book, while not check out some of the books that have been written about Harry Potter and maybe one or two of those that Potter fans should enjoy.
Flyte
Recommend:
The second book in the Septimus Heap series carries on the wacky notions, action, adventure and inventiveness of the first. Septimus is slowly growing into his role, but limitations on his magyk abilities mean the problems he faces cannot simply be solved with a charm and he has to rely on others and his ingenuity to get him out of the numerous holes he finds himself in.
A great read for all ages with laughs and edge-of-the-seat action in equal measure.
Magyk
Recommend:
Magyk is the first of the Septimus Heap series, which I found through an article on the Guardian Unlimited Film site titled ‘Harry Potter meets his match in Septimus Heap.’ I did my preferred method of research, head on over to the Amazon.com page and try and read an extract (I also found extracts from all three of the books so far on the official site — the green stars on the left are links). Anyway, what I read was good enough for me to add it to my next order from a certain online book store.
I finished it a couple of days ago and it was very good. It’s not a replacement for Harry Potter, it takes place in a made up universe, massively different to our own and closer to medieval in age and outlook, but it’s wildly inventive, very funny and a great story. You don’t see too much of DomDaniel, the villain, but from the extracts I have read of the next books, he’ll be a recurring source of evil. There are a number of other characters and, strangely, the one for whom the series is named, is far from first on the scene, or the constant centre of attention.
Sage plays about with some of the more common notions of well-worn themes such as magic (called magyk), witches, wizards and other mythological entities like dragons and boggarts. This all makes for a nice change, and she has obviously spent a lot of time filling out her world, figuring out how it functions and how it all connects together, it’s not often you see a rubbish dump in a fantasy (or any fictional) book.
Trying not to give too much away (you may wish to skip the paragraph if you don’t want spoilers), the story centres around the death of the Queen, after childbirth. Her daughter, the new ruler of the Castle, was about to be executed too, when a quick thinking wizard and witch smuggler her out and arrange for Silas Heap to find her. She is raised in secret, as one of the Heap’s own children. Their son, Septimus, the seventh son of a seventh son, supposedly endowed with supreme magical power, who was born around the same time as the princess, dies, or appears to, but is actually given a sleeping potion by the matron and smuggled out as DomDaniel has ordered his kidnapping so he can have a powerful apprentice. The matron’s son and Septimus get switched in the Young Army orphanage and Septimus becomes a YA runt, Boy 412. After the Queen was killed the commander of the army becomes the supreme ruler, but he’s only a puppet for DomDaniel who will return to re-take the position of ExtraOrdinary Wizard, the top wizard in the land and try and kill the princess so he can gain control. There’s some good strong female characters in there, plenty of odd ones too, some novel twists on tired concepts and plenty of funny lines and situations.
(Spoilers here too, skip to next paragraph) I found some of the points a little too convenient, some of the get-outs and actions too easy, and I’m not sure if I knew who Boy 412 was before the end because I did know, or because it was pretty obvious. I didn’t find DomDaniel a particularly menacing or scary main villain, the Hunter was far worse.
Overall it was a great yarn, lots of setting up, as is needed in all first novels, but the rest of the series looks set to be good. There’s supposed to be seven books in the series (just like some other franchise I know) and Warner Bros., the people behind the HP films, have acquired the movie rights, hoping, no doubt, it’ll be as big a hit. Go read it if you’re a fan of action and fantasy.
Skybreaker
Recommend:
Another great action story from Oppell which starts a few years after the events of Airborn. Many of the great characters return and this book, more so even than the first, has a feeling something like a 30’s swashbuckler, where the odds are long, the technology rudimentary and yet men (and women in this case) are pushing the boundaries. You almost expect Errol Flynn to pop up and start sword-fighting with the dastardly villains at any minute. As such it’s hardly realism, with many plot twists easy to guess well-ahead of when they happen, but the action means you don’t care, and Oppell’s clever ideas and tricks are a joy to read and imagine.
He also does a good job of handling the characters relationships, I particularly like to on-off jealous but ultimately loving relationship of the two main characters, Matt and Kate, although it does tire after a while as misunderstanding and jealously then reconciliation cycle over and over.
The speed and constant development mean that there’s a barely a paragraph where something important isn’t happening or being laid down for future reference. An exciting read and I look forward to the next.
Airborn
Recommend:
I found out about Airborn while surfing around looking for contemporaries of Harry Potter to see if any books had sold anywhere near the same number. Kenneth Oppel was unknown to me, although he has been writing for some time, partly because his previous books seem to have been aimed at a younger audience. The article I found was going to replace the JK Rowling-shaped void in children’s publishing now HP was over. Oppel was the focus of the piece (it was for a Canadian site, he is Canadian, of course I’m not suggesting they were blowing their own trumpet…).
Anyway, I’ve just blasted my way through the first of (so far) two books about an alternative Victorian age where airships are the primary method of transporting goods and passengers around the globe. These aren’t the death-traps of the 30’s, filled with hydrogen, they use a totally different (and made up) gas called hydrium (which smells like mangos). Our hero, Matt Cruse, is a cabin boy aboard the luxury liner Aurora. Matt loves airships, he was born aloft, his father worked on the Aurora and he doesn’t like being on the ground. A routine trip changes when they find a balloon floating aimlessly across their shipping lane, with a man near-dead aboard. He says he’s seen things, strange creatures, but before they can find out more, he dies. Several months later and Kate de Vries takes a voyage. The dead man was her grandfather and she’s determined to find what he saw. Then the pirates come…
It’s fast paced (once you get past the initial setup, which I found entertaining anyway) and non-stop action. Kate is a strong, determined and very clever girl (and likes books, she’s not unlike Hermione, although trouble seems to follow her) and she’s not stuck to the traditions of her class, keen to break out of ‘ladylike’ pursuits she is supposed to be doing. She drags Matt along for adventure and discovery, not that he’s complaining, he likes her. It’s funny, and thrilling, inventive and exciting. It’s not particularly deep or complex, but it has plenty of twists and turns and skin-of-the-teeth escapes and I couldn’t put it down.
I admit that I am a huge airship fan, they have a romantic image for me (once you get past the combustible gas) and maybe my opinion is off because I was interested in simply reading about a story in a world where airships rule (if we could have produced helium rather than relying on hydrogen they may still be big), but I loved it. Why aren’t people writing thrilling adventure stories like this for adults too? All the exciting fiction I seem to be reading of late is, technically, aimed at kids. It’s a little Clive Cussler, only without the history, the classic cars and planes or the boats (or Clive himself showing up!).
For some reason I found it reminded me of Mortal Engines (probably the airships). Well worth a read if you like a good old-fashioned ripping yarn, already added the next book, Skybreaker, to my wishlist.
Continuum Contemporaries series: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels
Recommend: Yes
This work is part of the “Continuum Contemporaries” series giving readers accessible and informative introductions to 30 of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential contemporary novels. It contains a biography of the novelist, a full-length study of the novel, a summary of how the novel was received upon publication, a summary of how the novel has performed since publication, and a wide range of suggestions for further reading.
The Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter Trivia Book
Recommend: Yes
The “Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter(R) Trivia Book” explores the newest secrets and fun facts that make up the wonderful world of Harry Potter. If you think that you have already solved every mystery or discovered every twist that J. K. Rowling has hidden in her works, think again! In this exciting new work from author Daniel Lawrence, learn all the answers to a multitude of Harry Potter book and movie trivia questions, even those you never would have thought of, such as: What event slowed the filming of Goblet of Fire? Why is the country of Belgium so significant to Movie IV? What new process endorsed by J.K. Rowling was used in printing Book 6? Professor McGonagall’s first name, Minerva, is the Roman name for which Greek goddess? An essential read for Harry Potter fans, the “Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter Trivia Book” gives new, fascinating details about the first six books in the series. It contains a collection of fun multiple-choice questions along with little-known information about the world’s most famous wizard. Learn the secrets behind the magic and what comes next. The “Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter(R) Trivia Book” is the perfect companion to the entire series.
The Science of Harry Potter
Recommend: Yes
Invisibility cloaks, flying broomsticks, magic doors - all the stuff of children’s fantasy. But have you ever wondered if this magic could feasibly work? Roger Highfield explores the world of the Harry Potter stories and shows how cutting edge science can explain much of it. Exciting scientific concepts such as wormholes and general relativity and he also offers explanations for the more historical links between magic and science, investigating the archaelogical and anthropological evidence for witchcraft and dragons.
Muggles and Magic: J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter Phenomenon
Recommend: Yes
Do you believe in magic? Author J. K. Rowling certainly did as she was dreaming up the boy who would become Harry Potter. Everyone knows the story of Harry Potter and the “rags-to-riches” success of its author J. K. Rowling, but Muggles And Magic thoroughly examines every nook and cranny of the Potter universe including Rowling’s life before and after Harry. It features a photo essay about the life of J. K. Rowling, an inside look at the making of the literary blockbusters, facts, fun, trivia, and more. Timed to capitalise on the hype surrounding the release of the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Muggles And Magic is certain to appeal to Potter fans of all ages. Muggles And Magic pulls together rare articles, interviews and profiles of the series and its author - including a start to finish look at the birth a of new Potter novel - new insights on the censorship debate, an A-to-Z concordance of people, places and things in the books and much more.
The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter
Recommend: Yes
J.K. Rowling fills her books with references to history, myths, legends and literature. “The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter” presents the stories behind the stories. The enriching trip includes many other worlds both real and imaginary, from ancient Egypt and Greece to India and Japan. It includes encounters with wizards like Circe and Merlin, and the real-life alchemists of the Middle Ages. Adding to the experience are writers as varied as William Shakespeare, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Dickens, Ovid, John Donne, J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Recommend: Yes
As Albus Dumbledore says in his introduction, this set textbook by Newt Scamander has given the perfect grounding to many a Hogwarts student. It will be helpful to all Muggles out there too. JK Rowling takes her enviable ability to turn paper into gold to the next level by cleverly teaming up with Comic Relief 2001 to bring Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Quidditch Through the Ages
Recommend: Yes
Did you know that there are 700 ways of committing a foul in Quidditch? Have you ever wondered how the Bludgers came into existence or why Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their robes? This copy of a volume in Hogwarts School Library contains everything you need to know.
